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Jan. 31, 1956 vJ. H. METCALF 2,732,967

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United States Patent() STILLAGES John Herbert Metcalf, Aston, Birmingham, England, as-

signor to Victrolec Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Application January 9, 1953, SerialNo. 330,407

Claims priority, application Great Britain March 21, 1952 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-6) new or improved form of stillage adapted to take up the minimum of space when not required for use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stillage comprising a load-bearing base and side walls hingedly connected to the base so as to extend upwardly therefrom when the-stillage is in use and being adapted to be collapsed so as to lie in substantially flat relationship with the base when the stillage is not required for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stillage wherein each end wall is provided with extensions below the base of the stillage, which extensions form legs for supporting the stillage and the top of each end wall, when in the upright position, is disposed above the level of the upper edges of the side walls so that when a' number of stillages are superposed one above the other, the weight of the stillage or stillages above acts on the legs of a stillage and the side walls are free from load.

Further, the legs on each end wall may be connected together at their lower extremities by a cross-piece of inverted channel section such that when one stillage is placed on top of another the cross pieces of the upper stillageengage over the upper edges of the end walls of the lower stillage and prevent the upper stillage from being displaced.

The hinge pins of one side Wall may be situated at a greater distance above the base than the hinge pins of the other side wall so that when folded flat one side wall lies flat on top of the other which lies flat on the base. Further, the hinge pins of the end walls may be similarly arranged so that one end wall can be folded to lie on top of the other.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stillage assembled in the operative condition,

Figure 2 is a section taken vertically through an assembled stillage,

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the details of hinging the sides and ends to the base,

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing the locking arrangement,

Figure 5 is a view showing the stillage in its collapsed form.

Referring to Figure 1 the stillage comprises two side walls and two end walls 11 together with a base 12 which combine to form a box like container when the parts are in the open `assembled position as shown in Figure l.

Each side wall 10 and end wall 11 comprises an open rectangular frame work having sides 13 of angle section between which is stretched a wire mesh wall as shown in "ice At each corner the base member h'as secured thereto an upstanding pillar 16, and the side and end walls are hingedly connected to these pillars in such manner as to permit of collapsing by folding of these walls on to the base member.

ln the construction shown the vertical height of the side walls 10 is greater than half the width of the base member so that when collapsed the side walls overlap and for this purpose the one side wall is hinged on an axis which is spaced a greater distance above the base member than the axis of the opposite side wall.

Referring to Figure 3 `one side wall has at each end a block 17 secured thereto and this block is provided with a hole for receiving a hinge pin which is adapted to enter a hole 18 in the pillar 16 at each end of the base on this side. The opposite side wall is provided with similar blocks 17 rand hinge pins adapted to co-operate with a hole 19 in the pillars 16 and as will be seen the holes 19 are spaced a shorter distance from the base 15 than the holes 18 so that when the side wall at one side is collapsed it will lie ilat on the base member and the other side wall will then collapse to lie on top of the first side wall.

A similar arrangement is adopted for the hinging of the end walls each end wall being provided with a pair of blocks 20 and hinge pins which are adapted to co-operate with the holes 21 in the upper ends of the pillars.

Referring now to Figure 2 it will be seen that the pillars on the left hand side are of greater height than those on the right hand side so that the right hand end wall can be folded down to lie on top of the two folded side walls and then the left hand end wall can be folded down to lie on top of the right hand end wall as is clearly shown in Figure 5 which is a view showing the stillage in its collapsed position.

Further, each end wall has the angle section member 13 extended below the base member to form legs and at each end these legs are connected by transverse bearer members 22 which, as shown, are of inverted V section when the stillage is in its open position. As shown in Figure 5 these bearer members 22 serve as handles so that the collapsed stillage can be grasped by the bearer members at each end and readily lifted on to a lorry or like conveyance for transport or the stillages can be stacked in the collapsed form one upon the other.

The bearer members 22 also serve a further purpose and that is for the stacking of opened stillages one upon the other and for this purpose the top of each end Wall has a cross piece 23 which is `also of inverted V section and is shaped such that it will enter within the bearer member 22 of another stillage placed on top of the first stillage.

This feature provides a positive locating means when one stillage is being stacked upon another and has the further feature that the stillage above may be easily positioned in relation to the stillage below from above and at one side and then slid with the bearer member 22 engaging the cross pieces 23 into correct alignment with the stillage below. This facilitates the handling of these stillages by means of a fork lift truck the forks of which can be easily engaged below the base member from either side or end of the stillage or diagonally from one corner thereof.

In order to ensure that the side and end walls remain firmly locked together when the stillage is in the open position any form of locking means such as latches or nl t 3 spring catches may be employed and one simple preferred form is shown in Figure 2 wherein a length of rod 24 is welded to the inner, lower edge of the cross piece 23 on each end wall, this rod 24 being welded over a centre portion and having its end portions 25 bent outwardly so that its free end will engage with the adjacent angle Y section 13 of the side wall when the walls are in the open position thus preventing the side walls from collapsing inwardly.

When a stillage is fully loaded the presence of the goods Y therein also assists in maintaining the walls in a rigid open position.

With reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that the cross pieces '23 are also adapted to engage with upstanding lugs 26 which are secured to the uper angle section parts of the side walls 10 on each end thereof. When the stillage is being unfolded the two end walls are rst opened up and then the side walls swung into position so that the lugs 26 engage within the cross pieces 23 and locate the end walls 11 irmly against inwards movement towards the base member.

What I claim then is:

A collapsible stillage having two side walls and two end walls foldable into at relationship upon a base member which is permanently connected to all the walls, said side walls and end walls being each bounded by a frame comprising top and bottom frame members and side frame members, the top frame members of the end walls being lof inverted V-cross section, disposed above the level of the side wall top frame members, each side wall top frame member having at each end thereof an upstanding lug adapted for engagement within the inverted V-section of its adjacent end wall top frame member, four relatively short corner pillars disposed, one at each corner of the base member, said side and end walls being hinged to the said corner pillars about xed axes disposed near the lower ends of the side frame members of the Walls, the hinge axes of the end walls being disposed a greater height above the base than the hinge aXes of the side walls, the side frame members of the end walls being extended below the level of the base member to form legs, and a pair of transverse bearer members connected one between the lower extremities of the legs aforesaid, of each end wall, said transverse bearer members being of inverted V-section adapted to fit over the end wall top frame members of a similar stillage when two stillages are superimposed.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 909,615 La Bauve Ian. 12, 1909 915,704 Scott et al. Mar. 16, 1909 1,125,100 Hoover Jan. 19, 1915 1,409,335 Eaton Mar. 14, 1922 1,443,901 Murray Jan. 30, 1923 2,070,070 Stoner Feb. 9, 1937 2,503,208 Nydegger et a1. Apr. 4, 1950 2,524,955 Borzell et al. Oct. 10, 1950 2,579,655 Donald Dec. 29, 1951 2,669,373 Coit Feb. 16, 1954 

